diff --git a/src/backend/src/api/APIError.js b/src/backend/src/api/APIError.js
index 93bee20f..70b9628d 100644
--- a/src/backend/src/api/APIError.js
+++ b/src/backend/src/api/APIError.js
@@ -482,6 +482,10 @@ module.exports = class APIError {
             status: 422,
             message: 'This share can not be applied to this user.',
         },
+        'no_origin_for_app': {
+            status: 400,
+            message: 'Puter apps must have a valid URL.'
+        },
 
         // Chat
         // TODO: specifying these errors here might be a violation
diff --git a/src/backend/src/services/auth/AuthService.js b/src/backend/src/services/auth/AuthService.js
index ea0dfe45..d8ab3eb9 100644
--- a/src/backend/src/services/auth/AuthService.js
+++ b/src/backend/src/services/auth/AuthService.js
@@ -442,6 +442,9 @@ class AuthService extends BaseService {
 
     async app_uid_from_origin (origin) {
         origin = this._origin_from_url(origin);
+        if ( origin === null ) {
+            throw APIError.create('no_origin_for_app');
+        }
         return await this._app_uid_from_origin(origin);
     }